Subtle population genetic structure in the Hawaiian grouper, Epinephelus quernus (Serranidae) as revealed by mitochondrial DNA analyses |
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Authors: | MALIA ANA J RIVERA CHRISTOPHER D KELLEY GEORGE K RODERICK |
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Institution: | Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii 46–007 Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA; Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California at Berkeley 201 Wellman Hall ?3112, Berkeley, CA 94720–3112, USA; Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Road MSB303, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA |
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Abstract: | The endemic Hawaiian grouper, Epinephelus quernus , is a commercially important species experiencing intense fishing pressure in part of its distributional range. We examined population genetic structure with 398 base pairs of the mitochondrial control region across a large portion of the range of E. quernus , spanning approximately 2000 km of the Hawaiian archipelago. Examination of genetic diversity shows that Gardner Island, situated midway along the island chain, harbours the most diverse haplotypes. F -statistics and Bayesian estimates of migration also reveal the mid-archipelago as genetically differentiated, where the first significant break among adjacent pairs of populations lies between the islands of Nihoa and Necker. Most island comparisons beyond Necker and Gardner to the north-west and among the lower five islands to the south-east show little to no genetic differences. Evidence of historical population expansion across the islands was also found by Maximum Likelihood analyses. The results suggest that management should be structured to reflect the genetic differentiation and diversity in the mid-archipelago, the patterns of which may be associated with oceanic current patterns. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 81 , 449–468. |
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Keywords: | control region Hawaiian archipelago migration population growth population structure |
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